Park pests become Christmas guests
By Timothy Hurley
Advertiser Maui Bureau
HALEAKALA NATIONAL PARK, Maui — For most of the year they're unwanted aliens, a relatively aggressive tree species that threatens to overrun native habitat.
Timothy Hurley • The Honolulu Advertiser
But last weekend, for more than 100 people who journeyed up the mountain with handsaws and loppers, they were Christmas trees — the kind you take home, decorate and lay presents around.
Eleanore Duyndam of Kula came to Haleakala's Christmas tree-cutting event for the adventure.
Saturday's annual Christmas Tree Round-Up, sponsored by the Friends of Haleakala National Park, gives the park's resource management crew a yuletide boost in its ongoing war on pine trees.
"It's a chance to get cold and in the Christmas spirit,'' said Kim Martz, a Haleakala researcher who helped organize the event.
Despite rain, wind and cold, more people than ever showed up at Pu'u Nianiau, near the 7,000-foot entrance to the park's Crater District, to claim a free tree.
"I hate to cut down trees, but if it's to save the native forest, yeah, I'm all for it,'' said Barbara Hartnell of Olinda, who arrived with friend Lynne Post of Makawao to gather some Christmas trees for neighbors and friends.
Nearly 100 years ago, territorial forester Ralph Hosmer planted hundreds of pine, spruce, cedar and eucalyptus on the slopes of Haleakala in an experiment aimed at stopping erosion and establishing a timber industry.
But the trees ended up working to destroy the native habitat, costing conservationists and landowners such as Haleakala National Park considerable resources trying to stop their march across the 10,000-foot mountain.
Left unchecked, trees such as Monterey pine, maritime pine and Mexican weeping pine overrun and shade out native species, including sandalwood and some endangered geraniums.
Park officials have talked to the forestry industry about logging, but were told there isn't enough timber to warrant a harvest, and in any case the terrain is too steep, said Haleakala researcher Forest Starr.
And while any trees remain, efforts such as the annual Christmas tree roundup will only help check their spread, and the battle will remain "pretty much a forever thing,'' he said.
"As long as there are mature trees, there will be a perpetual rain of seed across the mountain,'' said Starr.
For example, Pu'u Nianiau, where the Christmas treeihunters were scattered, didn't have any pine trees 40 years ago, but it's now on the leading edge of the pine tree onslaught.
Maureen Levin said Saturday's mountainside trek was like a walk into her past, to fond memories of her childhood in northern Illinois, when her family would go into the woods and cut their own Christmas tree.
She had persuaded her husband, Doug, to get up early and drive up the mountain for the tree roundup. They said the trip was well worth it as they tied a lovely 9-foot pine with long, lacy needles on top of their car.
"But I didn't know it would be Illinois weather,'' she said.
Eleanore Duyndam of Kula said she was looking for a fun adventure — and found it with her 4-year-old helper, son Royal.
"I didn't expect a perfect tree,'' she said, holding a 7-footer. "But I like the idea of getting a wild tree, a tree with spirit and energy. You know it's going to be a happy tree, living out here.''
